50 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Warden; that there are intelligent forest-fire wardens in 

 every town guarding the interests of the forest ; that look- 

 out stations have been built on a number of our high 

 mountains where look-out men and patrolmen are main- 

 tained, always alert and watching for the faintest sign of 

 a fire; and, lastly, that the people of Vermont in general 

 have been educated regarding the damage which follows 

 in the wake of a forest fire. Thus, the ownership of forest 

 property has been made safer than ever before and the 

 damage done by fires in Vermont is less than in any other 

 New England State. At a meeting of the Society for the 

 Protection of New Hampshire Forests held the past sum- 

 mer, one New Hampshire lumberman made the significant 

 statement that the State Forester of that State had earned 

 a salary of $100,000 a year in lessening the damage by fire. 

 It is quite unnecessary to say that the said State Forester 

 did not receive what he earned. 



Up to 1912 there was no remedial legislation pertaining 

 to forest taxation in Vermont. Land owners throughout 

 the State were compelled to cut oS their timber because 

 of excessive taxes. The State Forester succeeded in haxnng 

 Acts No. 40 and 41 passed b}^ the legislature. These acts 

 make it possible for the man who desires to raise timber 

 to do so and to figure in advance just what his taxes 

 will be up to 1950. Vermont, Massachusetts and Con- 

 necticut are the three leading States in the matter of 

 forest taxation. 



The State Nursery for forest seedlings was established 

 by the legislature previous to the beginning of the Forestry 

 Department. Since the Department was organized the 

 Nursery has been strengthened and enlarged and a very 

 considerable amount of planting has been done through- 

 out Vermont on private and public lands. During 1909- 

 1910, 572,000 trees were planted. During the six 

 years since the establishment of the department over 

 5,000,000 trees have been taken from the State Nursery 

 and planted from one end of the State to the other. It is 

 quite safe to say that these trees, if properly protected, will 

 be worth in fif t j' years between one and two million dollars. 

 These plantations will have a stimulative effect upon the 

 wood-using industries which will be highly advantageous 

 and they will serve as demonstration areas to interest 

 other land owners in reforestation. 



The policy of State Forests has become solidly en- 

 trenched in Vermont because the people believe in State 

 ownership of large forest areas in the main range of the 

 Green Mountains. The State now owns 14,000 acres of 

 forest land in twelve different localities comprising some 

 of the most beautiful scenery in Vermont. The largest 

 tract is on Mt. Mansfield, the highest mountain in the 

 State, and in Smuggler's Notch, one of the most beautiful 

 spots in Eastern America. This tract consists of 5000 

 acres, the second largest State forest in New England. 



Another tract of 3500 acres is situated on Camel's Hump, 

 Vermont's most picturesque moimtain. These two areas 

 are of sufficient size to prove an increasingly good invest- 

 ment for the State commercially and scenicly. The people 

 are coming to realize that the State forests are their 

 forests, that they may wander through them at will 

 enjoying their many matchless attractions. More lands 

 will be purchased as soon as the right kind of opportunities 

 present themselves. All these forests are accessible and 

 are really and in fact a part of the life of the people. 



The campaign of education carried on by the Depart- 

 ment and the Forestry Association through numerous 

 lectures, field meetings, excursions and through the press 

 has stimulated a keen and healthy interest in the forest 

 and its problems. It is safe to say that the people of no 

 other State are more interested in their forests than are 

 the people of Vermont. 



In cooperation with the State University investigative 

 work has been carried on and several bxilletins published 

 giving valuable information, not only to Vermonters, but 

 to all the people of the country who are interested in the 

 questions of forest conservation. Vermont, like the other 

 Eastern States, has become infected with the white pine 

 bhster disease. The Department of Forestry has care- 

 fully inspected all plantations and has the situation thor- 

 oughly in hand. Municipal forests have been made pos- 

 sible by act of the legislature and several cities now have 

 their forests. As soon as the people become familiar with 

 this policy many town forests will undoubtedly result. 

 The Department marks trees for cutting on private lands 

 and has just issued a bulletin on the marketing of private 

 woodlands which should prove a help to private land 

 owners. 



Thus, briefly, it may be seen that forestry in \"ermont 

 has made rapid strides forward since the establishment 

 of the State department composed of men who are tech- 

 nically trained foresters. Unfortunately, however, politics 

 has been permitted to play too large a part in this progress. 

 Forestry in Vermont has advanced in spite of political 

 interferences. Free from politics one hesitates to say what 

 might have been accompUshed. Thirty States have 

 Forestry Departments. In those States where the State 

 Forester is appointed by the Governor or some other 

 political officer, politics has interfered to such an extent 

 that dissatisfaction and inefficiency are widespread, the 

 law disregarded and trouble rampant. The preservation 

 of the forests which we now have, the reforestation of the 

 waste places, the education of the people to the vital need 

 of care and forethought in dealing with the forests — these 

 matters, in a State like Vermont, demand that the persons 

 in charge shall be men technically trained, unhampered 

 by politics and free to work unreservedly and fearlessly 

 for the best interests of the State. 



THE work of classifying and opening to homestead 

 entry such lands in the National Forests as are 

 chiefly valuable for agriculture is progressing 

 rapidly. Already over seventy million acres have been 

 covered by field examinations and the final reports 

 acted upon. 



INVESTIGATIONS by the Forest Products Laboratory, 

 at Madison, Wisconsin, have resulted in the use of 

 spent tanbark in the manufacture of asphalt shingles 

 to the extent of 160 tons per week. The value of the bark 

 has been thereby increased from 60 cents to $2.50 per ton. 



